Adjustable table for beds



1 April 3, 1956 A. CAMPBELL ADJUSTABLE TABLE FOR BEDS Filed April 27, 1953 A TTORN K INVENTOR. Argy/e Chm be United States Patent ADJUSTABLE TABLE FOR BEDS Argyle (Zampbell, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application April 27, 1953, Serial No. 351,371

1 Claim. (Cl. 311-46) This invention relates to adjustable tables of the type and character capable of being supported by a portion of a bed, particularly the rail thereof, and in such a position as to be usable by the occupant of the bed.

The primary aim of this invention is to provide an adjustable table for beds in hospitals where the patient or occupant of the bed may shift the table to a position overhanging the same where the platform of the table may be conveniently used by the bed occupant or the table may be moved to a position entirely away from a position overhanging the bed where the patient may be reached by an examining physician or may be moved to and from the bed without any portion of the adjustable table being in the way, where freedom of movement on the part of the patient or the attending physician or nurse, is restricted.

One of the primary aims of this invention is to provide a table of the aforementioned character, that has a platform normally disposed in a horizontal plane and which platform is carried by a frame of tubular material, mounted upon a specially designed standard. capable of quick attachment to a clamp mounted upon the bed rail and having a bearing formed thereon for the reception of one end of the said standard.

Further objects of the invention include the particular form and disposition of a U-shaped frame, an L-shaped arm, a reversely curved standard and a platform that is carried by the said U-shaped frame, with a drawer there under, capable of movement from beneath the platform to either side of the platform, without restriction and with such freedom as to permit the user of the adjustable table to move the drawer outwardly from its normally closed position.

Other objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following specification referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the adjustable table for beds, embodying my invention and showing in fragmentary fashion, the drawer which underlies the normally horizontal platform of the assembly.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the adjustable table for beds, illustrating the same, supported by a bed rail.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line IV-lV of Fig. 1.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and the numeral designates the ordinary rail of a conventional bed, to which the adjustable table assembly is mounted through the medium of a clamp, generally designated by the numeral 12, and which is so formed as to embrace the bed rail 10, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The clamp 12 is substantially U-shapcd and provided with a pair of set screws 14 and 16, movable into engagement with bed rail 10 so that the clamp 12 cannot shift in any direction once the same is secured in place as shown in the drawing. Clamp 10 has a bearing 18, formed integrally therewith, and the 2,740,678 Patented Apr. 3, 1956 major axis of this hearing is disposed vertically when clamp 12 is in place.

A standard 20, formed of tubular material and shaped as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, is reversely curved to present end portions that are straight and disposed in parallelism but in spaced relation. The normally lower end of standard 20 is slipped into bearing 18 of clamp 12 and when in such position, a head 22 prevents vertical displacement of the standard in a downward position but allows the standard 20 to be removed from hearing 18 when the table is to be separated from association with bed rail 10. The normally upper or 09- posite end of standard 20 is adapted to receive the end portion 24, of an L-shaped arm 26, that extends laterally from a U-shaped frame 28. The socket 30 inthe upper end of standard 20, receives portion 24 of arm 26 in such a way as to permit the turning of frame 28 and arm 26 about a vertical axis without restriction.

U-shapcd frame 28 comprises a pair of normally vertical arms 32 and 34, joined by the straight, normally horizontally disposed bight 36. Arms 32 and 34 and bight 36, as well as L-shaped arm 26, are all disposed in the same vertical plane when the adjustable table is in the operative position. A platform 38, is carried by the legs 32 and 34, and this platform is normally in a horizontal plane and may be swung from the position shown in full lines of Fig. 2, to the position shown in dotted lines of Fig. 2 in the drawing. When the platform 38 is swung to the position shown in dotted lines, it is disposed over the occupant of the bed to which the adjustable table is affixed, and the form of standard 20 and L-shaped arm 26, is such as to give freedom below the bight of frame 28.

Drawer 40 is slidably mounted below platform 38 through the medium of a pair of opposed rails 42, secured to platform 38 by screws or the like, as shown in Fig. 4. Rails 42 overlie braces 44 in the nature of angle irons, extending across the top of legs 32 and 34 of frame 28. Rails 42 lie upon the upper surface of angle irons 44 and the screws 46 pass upwardly through angle irons 44, rails 42 and thence into platform 38. to not only secure the rails in place but to fasten the rails and platform 44 and 38 respectively, to the angle irons 44.

Drawer 40 is provided with outturned flanges 48 that enter rails 42 to slidably mount drawer 4!] for movement in a normally horizontal plane beneath platform 38. Drawer 40 is movable outwardly to either of two opposite sides of platform 38 and the drawer is of such size as to be completely free of contact with any portion of U-shaped frame 28, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

The L-shaped arm 26 projects laterally and outwardly from beneath platform 38, to a normally vertical line where it enters the socket 39 of standard 20. and when the parts are so formed and assembled, as shown in the drawing, particularly Fig. 2, the table assembly is completely adjustable to any position that may be desired by the occupant of the bed, to the rail 10 of which the adjustable table assembly has been afiixed. Frame 28, including the legs 32 and 34 and bight 36. as well as the L-shaped arm 26. all are disposed in the same vertical plane, which plane is on the median line of platform 38. Angle irons 44 extend to each side of the legs 32 and 34, and since these angle irons 44 are welded directly to the upper ends of arms 32 and 34, no tipping of platform 33 is permitted.

An adjustable table for beds made pursuant to the form of the invention shown in the drawings and herein-above described, is particularly convenient in hospitals because the swiveling action permitted at hearing 18 and socket 30, allows movement of the parts of the table assembly to positions desired by both the occupant of the bed and the hospital attendants where the table is aflixed to a hospital bed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

For attachment to a bed having a rail, adjustable table structure comprising a detachable clamp adapted for attachment to the rail of the bed, said clamp being provided with a vertical bearing; a reversely curved standard having a pair of elongated, vertical, vertically and horizontally offset, end portions and an elongated, horizontal. intermediate portion integrally interconnecting the lowermost end of the upper end portion with the uppermost end of the lower end portion, the lowermost extremity of the lower end portion being journalled within said bearing for unlimited, free rotation upon a vertical axis, the uppermost extremity of the upper end portion being provided with a female, vertical bearing socket; a V-shaped frame having an elongated, horizontal bight and a pair of upright legs, said bight and one of said legs being integrally interconnected; a horizontal, table platform mounted on the uppermost extremities of said legs; and an L-shaped member integral with said bight and including an elongated horizontal arm extending laterally from the end of said bight remote from said one leg to a point beyond the adjacent edge of the platform and an elongated, vertical arm extending downwardly from the extremity of said horizontal arm disposed beyond said edge of the platform to said socket, the lowermost extremity of said vertical arm being journalled within said socket for unlimited, free rotation upon a vertical axis in spaced parallelism to said first mentioned axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 518,733 Cook Apr. 24, 1894 1,140,397 Bibar May 25, 1915 1,143,443 Schramm June 15, 1915 1,208,979 Kahre Dec. 19, 1916 1,261,611 Polyak Apr. 2, 1918 1,372,261 Wilson Mar. 22, 1921 1,453,121 Benner Apr. 24, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS 137,255 Australia May 15, 1950 663,167 Germany July 30, 1938 

